Aquatic Toxicity of Photocatalyst Nanoparticles to Green Microalgae <em>Chlorella </em><em>v</em><em>ulgaris</em>

• Main Authors: Cristina Adochite, Luminita Andronic
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: nanoparticles; heterogeneous photocatalysis; aquatic toxicity; <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i>
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/1/77

In the last years, nanoparticles such as TiO₂, ZnO, NiO, CuO and Fe₂O₃ were mainly used in wastewater applications. In addition to the positive aspects concerning using nanoparticles in the advanced oxidation process of wastewater containing pollutants, the impact of these nanoparticles on the environment must also be investigated. The toxicity of nanoparticles is generally investigated by the nanomaterials’ effect on green algae, especially on <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i>. In this review, several aspects are reviewed: the <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> culture monitoring and growth parameters, the effect of different nanoparticles on <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i>, the toxicity of photocatalyst nanoparticles, and the mechanism of photocatalyst during oxidative stress on the photosynthetic mechanism of <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i>. The Bold basal medium (BBM) is generally recognized as an excellent standard cultivation medium for <i>Chlorella vulgaris</i> in the known environmental conditions such as temperature in the range 20–30 °C and light intensity of around 150 μE·m²·s⁻¹ under a 16/8 h light/dark cycle. The nanoparticles synthesis methods influence the particle size, morphology, density, surface area to generate growth inhibition and further algal deaths at the nanoparticle-dependent concentration. Moreover, the results revealed that nanoparticles caused a more potent inhibitory effect on microalgal growth and severely disrupted algal cells’ membranes.